1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to microbicidal/microbistatic compositions for industrial use which comprise 4,5-dichloro-1,2-dithiol-3-one and an alkylenebisthiocyanate; and a method of killing and/or inhibiting microbes by using the aforementioned compositions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
4,5-dichloro-1,2-dithiol-3-one and alkylenebisthiocyanates are known.
The former compound, 4,5-dichloro-1,2-dithiol-3-one, is known to have strong microbicidal/microbistatic activity, especially against Gram negative bacteria (cf. Japanese Patent Publication No. 14294/1977), while alkylenebisthiocyanates are known to have antimicrobidal activity [cf. e.g. CA 51, 13002.sup.bc (1959)]. However, both of the aforementioned compounds are insufficient in microbicidal/microbistatic activity against certain Micrococcus strains (e.g. Micrococcus luteus, Micrococcus lysodeikticus).
Microbicidal/microbistatic compositions comprising 4,5-dichloro-1,2-dithiol-3-one and a haloacetic acid ester are proposed by the inventors of this invention (cf. British Patent Publication No. 2052989).
This invention has been completed on the basis of a discovery of the fact that when the abovementioned two types of active ingredients are used in various industrial targets required for microbicidal/microbistatic treatment (especially in papermaking process water), they produce a synergistically potentiated microbicidal/microbistatic activity, retaining their respective microbicidal spectra, and further exert a potent microbicidal/microbistatic activity against Micrococcus strains.